Understanding how premalignant retinoblastoma lesions form and progress in children
Official title: Production and progression of premalignant retinoblastoma lesions.
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11385023 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how early retinal lesions in kids with RB1 loss become malignant, with the goal of finding ways to prevent retinoblastoma progression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2011 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,668,131 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA137124-14 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385023 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with or at risk for retinoblastoma, especially those with RB1 gene alterations or predispositions.
✕Less likely to help
Children without RB1 alterations or not at risk for retinoblastoma may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
The project uses stem cell–derived retinal organoids to model early cone precursor activity and premalignant stages of retinoblastoma. By watching how these cells proliferate and change epigenetically, researchers hope to identify steps that push a premalignant lesion toward cancer. The work focuses on the interplay between RB1 loss, cell behavior, and epigenetic changes to understand when and how premalignancy escapes. The findings could point to ideas for stopping tumor development in children with cancer predispositions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to strategies that prevent or delay retinoblastoma from becoming malignant in at-risk children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior organoid models have shown promise in recapitulating early retinoblastoma features, supporting this approach as promising but still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cobrinik, David — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Cobrinik, David
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aqueous humor liquid biopsy to guide prognosis and monitoring in children with retinoblastoma
A liquid test using a small amount of eye fluid could reveal important tumor details to help predict how retinoblastoma in young children will behave and how well treatment is working.
-
Parent-of-Origin Effects in Retinoblastoma: Epigenetic Drivers of Tumor Risk and Progression
A study using long-read DNA sequencing to understand how the parent of origin of RB1 gene variants affects retinoblastoma risk and progression, with potential to guide personalized monitoring and treatment.
-
Retinoblastoma eye-sparing treatment for young children
A new, targeted eye treatment for young children with retinoblastoma aims to save eyes and reduce radiation exposure by delivering medicine directly into the eye.
-
How early retinal changes lead to retinoblastoma
This project looks at how early abnormal cells in the retina form and later turn into retinoblastoma in children, using lab-grown retinal tissue.
-
A tiny eye-fluid test to predict and track retinoblastoma in young children
This project uses a very small sample of eye fluid to look for tumor DNA that could help predict how retinoblastoma will behave and to follow treatment in children.
-
Handheld wide-view 3D eye scanner to find tiny retinoblastoma tumors
This project is building a new handheld 3D eye scanner intended to help find very small retinoblastoma tumors early in young children who need screening.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.